Latching device for storm windows



Feb. 24, 1953 M. J. NARDULLI LATCHING DEVICE FOR STORM wmnows Filed Aug.15, 1950 INVENTOR. MICHAEL J.'NARDUL.L|

O V BY k/ 27 1| ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE LATCHING DEVICE FOR STORM WINDOWS Application August 15, 1950,Serial No. 179,515

3 Claims.

This invention relates to storm windows or the like in which a closuremember is mounted so as to be slidable between opposed channel members,and it has for its object, the provision of a new and improved form andarrangement of parts by which a closure member may be hel very stronglyin centered position between the channel members and may be looked verysecurely in its normal lowermost position or in any other selectedadjusted position longitudinally of said channel members. It is one ofthe objects of my invention to provide an improved structure of thistype comprising channel members formed of sheet metal and secured infixed position, extending vertically at opposite sides of a windowopening, with my improved holding means mounted on the sash or otherclosure member at one side edge portion thereof and constructed andarranged so as to have strong gripping engagement with the adjacentchannel member.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide highly effectivemeans for securing my improved holding devices strongly in the desiredadjusted position transversely of the sash or other closure member atopposite sides thereof, so as to have effective cooperation with thechannel members for gripping purposes and also for insuring that theclosure member shall provide the desired degree of completeness ofclosure of the window space between the vertically disposed side channelmembers with the necessity for precision fitting of the parts withrespect to each other.

It is another object of my invention to provide an improved form ofreleasable device for pressing the edge portion of a closure memberfacewise against one of the flanges of a channel member in which saidclosure member is mounted, such device being adapted preferably to bereleased readily and quickly whenever a change in position of theclosure member is desired.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe following description and claims and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing which, by Way of illustration, shows a preferredembodiment of the present invention and the principle thereof and what Inow consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applyingthat principle. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same orequivalent principle may be used and structural changes may be made asdesired by those skilled in the art without departing from the presentinvention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an inside face View of two cooperating storm window sash inposition in the channel members carried by a conventional window frame.not shown;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view showing the lower left-hand corner ofthe lower one of the two cooperating sash shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially at the line 33in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially at the line 44in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a changed position of thelocking parts;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially at the line 66in Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the major portion of the mechanismprovided for holding the sash pressed releasably against the face of oneof the flanges of the channel member, as shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a bar arranged for cooperation with theparts as shown in Fig. '7; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view of the lower right-hand corner of theupper sash, as shown in Fig. 1, in position in a, channel member andshowing the means for holding the sash releasably in its raisedposition.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawing, in whichcorresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, It]and l I indicate, respectively, the lower and upper sash members of astorm window assembly of the typ disclosed by my earlier application,Serial No. 109,470, filed August 10, 1949, in which each sash membercomprises four bars I2 connected together by corner brackets l3 in theform of angles, as shown in Fig. 2. Each of the bars [2 is made of metalin the form as shown in Fig. 6, having a deep groove M in its inner edgefor the reception of the edge portion of a pane of glass, and having anundercut groove [5 in its face for reception of the arms of the cornerbrackets i3. Set screws [6 in suitable screw threaded openings in thecorner brackets l3 serve, when tightened, to draw the arms of the cornerbrackets into strong gripping engagement with the ribs ii at oppositesides of the undercut grooves I5. With two bars l2 having mitered ends,as shown in Fig. 2, and with the arms of a corner bracket [3 positionedin the undercut grooves I5, two of said set screws l6 are adapted toprovide a very strong connection between th bars. With four of such bars12, connected by four corner brackets 3 so as to extend about a glasspane I8 and the usual resilient cushioning channel I8C, a very strong,rigid sash structure is provided.

In the construction as shown in Fig. 1, the lower sash It is slidablymounted between two channel members I9 formed of sheet metal and securedrigidly in position between the blind stops at opposite sides of awindow opening, as described in my Patent No. 2,514,349, patented July4, 1950, and the upper sash II] is slidably mounted between two channelmembers formed of sheet metal and secured rigidly in position in theblind eats at opposite sides of said window opening. A

channel member 2I similar to the channel members 26 is provided acrossthe top of the window opening in position to receive the upper sash IIwhen moved to its topmost position, and a channel member 22 is providedat the lower end of the window opening to receive the lower edge of thesash I0.

As is best shown in Fig. 9, the upper sash II is held in its raisedposition in the channel members 20 by means of clips 23 pivotallymounted on the inner faces of the channel members by pivot pins orrivets 24. Said clips 23 are so p0- sitioned that they engage the bottomface of the upper sash member when turned into operative position forsupporting the sash, and are readily movable out of supporting positionwhen it is desired to lower the sash from its normal raised position, aswhen the sash is to be removed from the channel members. Thisarrangement as here described is substantially in accordance with thedisclosures of my prior application, Serial No. 35,461, filed June 26,1948, and now abandoned. The arrangement as shown in Fig. 3, comprisinglight leaf springs 25 mounted in position by means of rivets 23 on theinner faces of the webs of the channel members I9, so as to applypressure on the sash IO'for centering it between the channels I9, isalso illustrated by my said prior application, Serial No. 35,461, filedJune 26, 1948, and now abandoned.

My improved means for pressing the lower sash II! facewise against theface of one of the flanges of the said channel member I9, in which thesash is slidably mounted, comprises two metal bars 21 and 28 adjustablymounted on the transversely extending bottom bar I2 of such lower sashII]. The bar 28 is relatively thin and flexible, and as shown in Fig. 3,the end portion of the bar 28 is bent at an angle so as to fit snuglyagainst the end of the bar 2'! for holding said bars from swingingmovement with respect to each other on the screw 29 by which said barsare secured in position.

In my improved construction, the screw 29 is mounted by means of screwthreads in a block or supporting member 30 slidably mounted in theundercut groove I5 of the bottom bar of the lower sash I0. Thearrangement is such that when the screw 29 is tightened, the block 30and the bars 21 and 28 are brought into tight gripping engagement withthe ribs I! of the bar I2, so as to hold the block and said bars 21 and28 strongly in adjusted position to which they have been moved. As willbe appreciated from an inspection of Fig. 3, the block 3!] may beadjusted to such position along the bottom bar I2 of the sash ID as toinsure that the bar 21 shall have the desired position with respect tothe side bar I2 of the sash. As is shown in Fig. 3, the end portions ofthe bars 21 and 28 are positioned at opposite faces of the outer flangeof the channel member I9, with the bar 28 extending only slightly beyondthe end of the bar 21. Means are provided in my improved constructionfor pressing the end portions of the bars 21 and 28 strongly toward eachother with a clamping action for applying the desired pressure on theflange portion of the channel member. These means comprise an arm 3Iconnected with the bar 21 at right angles thereto, being preferablyformed integrally with such bar 27. On the outer end of said arm 3|, Ihave mounted a cam lever 32 pivotally supported in position by means ofa rivet 33. When such lever 32 stands in horizontal position, as shownin Fig. 5, the bars 23 and 21 are adapted to move into ubstantiallyspaced relationship to each other so as to stand free of the flange ofthe channel I9. When such member is swung upwardly into the lockedposition as shown in Fig. 4, however, the face of the lever by a cammingaction forces the bars 2'! and 28 toward each other into tight grippingrelationship to the flange of the channel I9. The construction is suchthat the lever 32 is held releasably in a locking position by itsfrictional engagement with the face of the bar 28. Moreover, the thinstrip or bar 28 is so arranged that the camming action of the member 32is exerted on the strip 28, thereby to avoid damage to or objectionableroughening of the face of the channel I9.

With the screw 29 holding the block 36 in desired adjusted position,transversely of the sash so as to hold the bars 2'! and 23 in theireffective working positions, as shown in Fig. 3, when the lever 32 isstanding in its raised locking position, the sash III is held firmly inadjusted position to which it has been moved. When the levers 32 areswung downwardly to their lowered unlocked positions, such levers 32serve as handles whereby the sash I0 can be moved very easily to thedesired raised position for ventilation or for removal of the sash fromthe channels I9.

By the use of my improved construction, a very eifective and convenientcontrol is provided for the sash, and the latch arrangement i of such acharacter that it may readily be put into position on the sash, and whenso positioned is effective both as a handle and a latch. Moreover, thepresent latch structure is effective to accomplish its latching orsecuring operation without damage to the face of the channel I9. Thestructure is readily produced without difficult manufacturingoperations, and is highly effective and of such strength and durabilityas to be reliable for use for many years without replacement or repair.

Thus, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment ofmy invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variationand modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to theprecise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changesand al-- terations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A closure structure comprising in combination an elongated memberformed of sheet metal in the form of a channel mounted in fixed verticalposition in a window opening, a closure member having one side edgeportion slidably mounted in said channel member, the closure memberhaving a bottom bar, a supporting member mounted in the bottom bar,means allowing adjustment of the supporting member in the bottom bar,inner and outer metal bars carried by the supporting member and heldthereon by the adjustment means, the metal bars respectively engagingthe inside and outside faces of one of the flanges of the channelmember, and manually operable means acting between the metal bars forpressing the outer bar strongly toward the flange to draw the closuremember into locking engagement with the flange.

2. A closure structure comprising in combination an elongated memberformed of sheet metal in the form of a channel mounted in fixed verticalposition in a window opening, a closure member having one side edgeportion slidably mounted in said channel member, the closure memberhaving a bottom bar, a supporting member mounted in the bottom bar,means allowing adjustment of the supporting member in the bottom bar,inner and outer metal bars carried by the supporting member and heldthereon by the adjustment means, the metal bars respectively engagingthe inside and outside faces of one of the flanges of the channelmember, an arm carried by the inner bar and extending outwardly beyondthe outer bar, and a cam lever movably mounted on the arm and in oneposition pressing the outer arm strongly toward the outer face of theflange to draw the closure member into looking engagement with theflange.

3. A closure structure comprising, in combination, an elongated memberformed of sheet metal in the form of a channel mounted in fixed verticalposition in a window opening, a closure member having one side edgeportion slidably mounted in the channel, the closure member having abottom bar, a supporting member comprising a block slidably mounted inan undercut groove longitudinally of the bottom bar, a screw allowingadjustment of the block in the undercut groove and fixedly holding thesame after adjustment, and means comprising a metal bar carried by thesupporting member and pressing the closure member strongly facewiseagainst the inner face of one of the flanges of the channel member, anopening in the metal bar means, the screw passing through the openingand securing the metal bar in position on the supporting member.

MICHAEL J. NARDULLI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 887,240 Flagg May 12, 1908887,470 Flagg May 12, 1908 1,597,405 Davenport Aug. 24, 1926 2,195,893McGann Apr. 2, 1940 2,430,615 Levine Nov. 11, 1947

